Sixth EU-SE Europe Summit: Europe Reconsidered

Overview

The priorities of the new US administration, NATO’s role in southeast Europe, the uprising of populism in Europe, the Brexit referendum and its implications for both the UK and the European Union, the influx of migrants into Europe and security challenges are but a few of the critical issues to be tackled in the months ahead against the backdrop of elections across Europe.

Europe’s leaders, now need to implement a strategy for closer economic and political integration in order to restore confidence and stability.

Will they succeed?

It is against this setting that The Economist Events have great pleasure in announcing the organisation of the Economist Sixth EU-SE Europe Summit entitled

EUROPE RECONSIDEREDCAN MONTENEGRO ACHIEVE STABILITY AND GROWTH?

scheduled to take place in Podgorica on May 3rd 2017.

Why attend

Topics to be discussed:

The uprising of populism in Europe

The Brexit referendum and its implications for the EU

Will there be a shifting of global powers?

What are the priorities of the EU in light of a new US administration?

NATO’s role in SE Europe and the eastern Mediterranean

Turning brain drain into brain gain

An outline of Montenegro’s business and economic landscape: is there soil for growth?

Speakers

Joan Hoey

Regional director, Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit

Joan Hoey

Regional director, Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit

Joan Hoey is a senior analyst and regional manager in the Europe team at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The team provides economic, political and business coverage for all the countries of Europe. Joan is the senior analyst for Greece, Romania and Serbia and has specialised in the politics and economics of the Balkans. Before joining the EIU in 1995, Joan worked as a freelance journalist and analyst covering Eastern Europe in the early 1990s. In the 1980s, she worked as a freelance journalist covering the UK and Northern Ireland. Joan was educated at Sussex university (BA Hons First Class History), Middlesex university (Industrial Relations) and the London School of Economics (International Relations).

Laza Kekic

Is an independent consultant specialising in European affairs, Russia, the Balkans and other transition economies, foreign direct investment, economic forecasting; growth economics and political development.

Until 2015 he was Regional director for Europe at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), London, which he originally joined in 1993. Laza also headed the EIU’s Country Forecasting Services, which include the EIU’s main traditional product, the Country Reports, as well as the Country Forecasts (medium and long-term forecasts for 82 countries aimed at direct investors. He has written extensively for the Economist Intelligence Unit and other outlets. Laza has been a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. He was educated at the London School of Economics (BSc and MSc Econ).

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews was born in Birmingham, England.

Education
King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Pembroke College, Cambridge University (BA and MA in classical and modern Arabic), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of London (Institute of Education)

Career
Until moving back to London in November 2006, John Andrews was The Economist’s most experienced foreign correspondent.
In a 24-year career that included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, his foreign postings have ranged from Singapore and Hong Kong to Brussels, Washington DC, Paris and finally Los Angeles. Before joining The Economist, Andrews spent six years with the Guardian and led the paper’s coverage of OPEC during its 1979–82 heyday. He came to the Guardian after living for seven years in the Arab world, first as an academic in Libya and Lebanon and then as a journalist. Working for NBC News he covered the Middle East peace–shuttle of Henry Kissinger and the first year of the Lebanese civil war. As a resident of the region and subsequently as a visitor, he interviewed personalities such as Muammar Gadhafy, Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weitzman.

Publications
John Andrews has written two books on Asia, co-authored a book on Europe and contributed chapters to other books, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A recent book was The Economist Book of Isms. His new book, The World in Conflict, examines war and conflict around the world. His special reports in The Economist, have covered subjects as diverse as civil aerospace, the European Union and the world of sport.

Languages
English, French, Arabic

Filip Vujanović

President, Montenegro

Filip Vujanović

President, Montenegro

Filip Vujanović was born on September 1st, 1954 in Belgrade. He is of Montenegrin nationality. He is married, father of three children. In 1978 he graduated from the Faculty of Law in Belgrade. Has passed bar examination.
Previous work engagement and state functions:
March 1978-November 1980: intern and expert associate in the First Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade and in the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.

November 1980-January 1982: Secretary of Court in the District Court in Titograd
January 1982-March 1993: Lawyer
March 1993-May 1995:Minister of Justice in the Government of the Republic of Montenegro
May 1995-February 1998: Minister of Interior Affairs in the Government of the Republic of Montenegro

President of the Government of the Republic of Montenegro from 5/21998-5/11/2002.
President of the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro since November 5, 2002.
For president of the Republic of Montenegro elected on May 11th, 2003.

At the first presidential elections in independent Montenegro held on April 6th 2008, elected for the President of Montenegro.

Re-elected at the presidential elections held on April 7th 2013.

Predrag Bošković

Minister of defence, Montenegro

Predrag Bošković

Minister of defence, Montenegro

Predrag Bosković was born in Pljevlja, Montenegro on March 12, 1972. He finished primary and secondary school in Podgorica. In 1996 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro. He received his MA in econometrics and politics from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade in 1999. He has published numerous research papers and publications and has participated in the implementation of major development projects in Montenegro. He speaks English.

He started his professional career as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Economics in 1996. Throughout his career he held senior positions, including being a member of the Parliament of Montenegro and serving as the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro, minister of Economy, minister of Labour and Social Welfare, minister of Education in the Government of Montenegro and the President of the Board of Directors of the Coal Mine in Pljevlja. He was part of IVP (international visitor program) in USA in 2003.

Predrag Bosković has been leading the Women’s Handball Club since 2006. From 2011 to 2016 he was the President of the Board of the Montenegrin Handball Association. During this period, the club and national team he led achieved the best results in the history of Montenegrin handball, including the Olympic silver medal. His commitment and success in this sport have been recognized internationally. He became the vice president of the European Handball Federation in November 2016.

1984: BSc (econ), International relations, London School of Economics and Political Science

Awards

Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland – bestowed by the president of Poland

Gold Medal of Merit for Country Defence – bestowed by the minister of national defence of Poland

Dubravka Nègre

Head, regional representation for the Western Balkans, European Investment Bank

Dubravka Nègre

Head, regional representation for the Western Balkans, European Investment Bank

Dubravka Nègre has been heading EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans in Belgrade since August 2016. EIB, European Union’s bank, is the largest lender to the Serbian economy with EUR 4.7 billion of the committed financing, and the world’s largest multilateral lender.
Dubravka came to Belgrade from Luxembourg where she has been working in the European Investment Bank since 2004 as a Loan Officer. Since 2014, Dubravka was responsible within the EIB for Public-Private Partnerships and Project Finance operations in Ireland, France, UK, and Benelux. She closed the financing for projects in the renewable energy, road transport as well as the healthcare in the Netherlands, UK and Ireland, among others. Between 2004 and 2014, she was responsible for EIB’s operations in Albania, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia, while being the responsible Loan Officer for projects in FYROM and Serbia from 2007 to 2014. She appraised, negotiated and signed numerous transactions in education, energy, health, R&D, telecommunications, transport, and the financial sector.

In 2012-2013, she negotiated and executed the first Public-Private Partnership in Croatia. For this project, she won Project Finance Deal of the Year 2013 and EMEA Finance Magazine European Deal 2013 in London. Dubravka initiated establishment of the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) and the Western Balkan Enterprise Development Innovation Facility (WB EDIF), both in cooperation with the European Commission and the European Investment Fund, part of EIB Group. She wrote several research papers in the field of Public-Private Partnerships in cooperation with Belgrade University.

Before joining EIB, between 1999 and 2003, Dubravka worked in the media as a Television Producer for Cable News Network International (CNNI), covering conflicts in the Balkans and the war in Afghanistan. For the war in Afghanistan, she won an award from the US National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences. She graduated Finance and Banking at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, and holds Master degree in International Finance and Management from SDA Bocconi University in Milan and Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles.

Dubravka speaks English, French, Italian and Serbian. She is married to Christophe with two children, Doushka and Milan.

Agenda

Registration-welcome coffee

8:45 AM

Welcome remarks by the conference chairpersons:

Joan Hoey

Regional director, Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit

Joan Hoey

Regional director, Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit

Joan Hoey is a senior analyst and regional manager in the Europe team at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The team provides economic, political and business coverage for all the countries of Europe. Joan is the senior analyst for Greece, Romania and Serbia and has specialised in the politics and economics of the Balkans. Before joining the EIU in 1995, Joan worked as a freelance journalist and analyst covering Eastern Europe in the early 1990s. In the 1980s, she worked as a freelance journalist covering the UK and Northern Ireland. Joan was educated at Sussex university (BA Hons First Class History), Middlesex university (Industrial Relations) and the London School of Economics (International Relations).

Laza Kekic

Is an independent consultant specialising in European affairs, Russia, the Balkans and other transition economies, foreign direct investment, economic forecasting; growth economics and political development.

Until 2015 he was Regional director for Europe at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), London, which he originally joined in 1993. Laza also headed the EIU’s Country Forecasting Services, which include the EIU’s main traditional product, the Country Reports, as well as the Country Forecasts (medium and long-term forecasts for 82 countries aimed at direct investors. He has written extensively for the Economist Intelligence Unit and other outlets. Laza has been a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. He was educated at the London School of Economics (BSc and MSc Econ).

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews was born in Birmingham, England.

Education
King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Pembroke College, Cambridge University (BA and MA in classical and modern Arabic), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of London (Institute of Education)

Career
Until moving back to London in November 2006, John Andrews was The Economist’s most experienced foreign correspondent.
In a 24-year career that included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, his foreign postings have ranged from Singapore and Hong Kong to Brussels, Washington DC, Paris and finally Los Angeles. Before joining The Economist, Andrews spent six years with the Guardian and led the paper’s coverage of OPEC during its 1979–82 heyday. He came to the Guardian after living for seven years in the Arab world, first as an academic in Libya and Lebanon and then as a journalist. Working for NBC News he covered the Middle East peace–shuttle of Henry Kissinger and the first year of the Lebanese civil war. As a resident of the region and subsequently as a visitor, he interviewed personalities such as Muammar Gadhafy, Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weitzman.

Publications
John Andrews has written two books on Asia, co-authored a book on Europe and contributed chapters to other books, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A recent book was The Economist Book of Isms. His new book, The World in Conflict, examines war and conflict around the world. His special reports in The Economist, have covered subjects as diverse as civil aerospace, the European Union and the world of sport.

Languages
English, French, Arabic

9:00 AM

Welcome remarks by:

Zoran Pažin

Deputy prime minister for political system, interior and foreign policy and minister of justice, Montenegro

Zoran Pažin

Deputy prime minister for political system, interior and foreign policy and minister of justice, Montenegro

Zoran Pažin was born in Šibenik, Croatia, in 1966. He graduated from the faculty of law, University of Belgrade, Serbia. He passed the bar exam before the Commission of the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro in Podgorica. In 2000 he was elected judge of the Basic Court in Podgorica. From 2004 to 2009 he was a president of the same court. He became mediator in 2005. In 2009 he was elected representative of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights until March 2015 when he was elected minister of justice. From 2010 he is substitute member in Venice Commission. In December 2016 he was elected deputy prime minister for political system, interior and foreign policy and minister of justice.
During his career he was lecturer in various seminars and schools as well as associate of many other national and international organisations whose goals are affirmation of the rule of law, European integration, strengthening the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, raising the legal awareness of citizens and promotion of ethical principles and justice as a source of law, etc. He has been engaged in drafting laws as a member of many working groups. He has published many books and publications on various themes, including: Right to Freedom and Personal Security and the European Convention Detention Law; Civil and Legal Aspects of the Protection of Personal Rights and Freedom of the Media, etc.

George Papandreou

George A. Papandreou (born June 16, 1952) has served as the 11th Prime Minister of Greece from October 6, 2009 – November 11, 2011, after PASOK’s victory in the October 2009 national elections. He was named as one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2010 for “making the best of Greece’s worst year.”

After completing his university studies at Amherst College in Massachusetts and graduate studies at the LSE, Papandreou won an MP seat for the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party in 1981. He has served in the Greek parliament ever since.

As Education Minister from 1994-1996, he founded Open University, an innovative national effort to facilitate undergraduate and graduate distance learning.

As Foreign Minister from 1999–2004, he was widely praised for his diplomatic bridge building. He successfully negotiated better relations with former rival Turkey.

In 2004, Papandreou was elected leader of PASOK in the country's first open primary—a move highly symbolic of his commitment to participatory governance—and held that position until March 2012.

He is also the president of Socialist International, an international association of political parties, of which PASOK is a member.

In 2012, Papandreou was named a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics. In 2013, he served as Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's SIPA, as well as a visiting faculty member at Sciences Po in Paris.

He is married to Ada Papandreou and has two children.

Igor Lukšić

Former prime minister, Montenegro, director of SEE Europe, PwC

Igor Lukšić

Former prime minister, Montenegro, director of SEE Europe, PwC

Igor Lukšić was an official candidate for the UN secretary general 2016, prime minister 2010-12, deputy prime minister and minister for affairs and European integration 2012-16, minister of finance 2004-10, member of the parliament of Montenegro 2001-03, member of the parliament of Serbia and Montenegro 2003-06. Presently, Lukšić is with PwC as southeast Europe public sector director.

Spending most of his professional career up to date in the public sector and serving in several governmental positions Lukšić was committed to political and economic freedoms giving boost to many economic and political reforms. Lukšić advocated for transparency, put emphasis on dialogue and proactive approach both related to internal and foreign relations. While prime minister of Montenegro he opened accession talks with the EU and completed accession to the WTO. When finance minister of Montenegro, he obtained the first ever credit rating, sold the first Eurobonds and made significant steps to improve Doing Business ranking. As a foreign minister Lukšić was among the key cabinet members working to meet NATO membership conditions and was crucial in launching Western Balkans 6 initiative.

Igor Lukšić holds a PhD in economics of transition, he is married and a father of three.

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews was born in Birmingham, England.

Education
King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Pembroke College, Cambridge University (BA and MA in classical and modern Arabic), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of London (Institute of Education)

Career
Until moving back to London in November 2006, John Andrews was The Economist’s most experienced foreign correspondent.
In a 24-year career that included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, his foreign postings have ranged from Singapore and Hong Kong to Brussels, Washington DC, Paris and finally Los Angeles. Before joining The Economist, Andrews spent six years with the Guardian and led the paper’s coverage of OPEC during its 1979–82 heyday. He came to the Guardian after living for seven years in the Arab world, first as an academic in Libya and Lebanon and then as a journalist. Working for NBC News he covered the Middle East peace–shuttle of Henry Kissinger and the first year of the Lebanese civil war. As a resident of the region and subsequently as a visitor, he interviewed personalities such as Muammar Gadhafy, Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weitzman.

Publications
John Andrews has written two books on Asia, co-authored a book on Europe and contributed chapters to other books, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A recent book was The Economist Book of Isms. His new book, The World in Conflict, examines war and conflict around the world. His special reports in The Economist, have covered subjects as diverse as civil aerospace, the European Union and the world of sport.

Languages
English, French, Arabic

9:45 AM

Discussion

10:15 AM

EMERGING GEOPOLITICAL AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN SE EUROPE

Will there be a shifting of global powers?

What are the priorities of the EU in light of a new US administration?

EU accession and NATO membership: an update

NATO’s role in SE Europe and the eastern Mediterranean

Predrag Bošković

Minister of defence, Montenegro

Predrag Bošković

Minister of defence, Montenegro

Predrag Bosković was born in Pljevlja, Montenegro on March 12, 1972. He finished primary and secondary school in Podgorica. In 1996 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro. He received his MA in econometrics and politics from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade in 1999. He has published numerous research papers and publications and has participated in the implementation of major development projects in Montenegro. He speaks English.

He started his professional career as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Economics in 1996. Throughout his career he held senior positions, including being a member of the Parliament of Montenegro and serving as the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro, minister of Economy, minister of Labour and Social Welfare, minister of Education in the Government of Montenegro and the President of the Board of Directors of the Coal Mine in Pljevlja. He was part of IVP (international visitor program) in USA in 2003.

Predrag Bosković has been leading the Women’s Handball Club since 2006. From 2011 to 2016 he was the President of the Board of the Montenegrin Handball Association. During this period, the club and national team he led achieved the best results in the history of Montenegrin handball, including the Olympic silver medal. His commitment and success in this sport have been recognized internationally. He became the vice president of the European Handball Federation in November 2016.

1984: BSc (econ), International relations, London School of Economics and Political Science

Awards

Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland – bestowed by the president of Poland

Gold Medal of Merit for Country Defence – bestowed by the minister of national defence of Poland

Richard Shirreff

General/ Former deputy supreme allied commander Europe (DSACEUR)

Richard Shirreff

General/ Former deputy supreme allied commander Europe (DSACEUR)

Over 37 years of experience as an international leader and commander rising to highest rank in British Army and NATO.

Extensive experience of building unity of effort with different nations, governments, the humanitarian community and wide variety of other stakeholders in order to resolve complex problems. First hand understanding of the challenges of decision making under extreme political and media pressure, and proven record of leading dynamic change management makes him well placed to support corporate leaders in the development and operationalising of strategy to manage complex risks.

Richard is founder and partner of Strategia Worldwide.

Ian Lesser

Executive director, Transatlantic Centre, vice-president for foreign policy, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Ian Lesser

Executive director, Transatlantic Centre, vice-president for foreign policy, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Ian Lesser is vice-president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and a member of GMF’s executive team, managing programmes across the organisation. He also serves as executive director of the Transatlantic Centre, the Brussels office of GMF, and leads GMF’s work on the Mediterranean, Turkey and the wider Atlantic.

Prior to joining GMF, Dr Lesser was a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and vice-president and director of studies at the Pacific Council on International Policy. He came to the Pacific Council from the RAND Corporation, where he spent over a decade as a senior analyst and research manager specialising in strategic studies. From 1994-95, he was a member of the secretary’s policy planning staff at the US department of state, responsible for Turkey, southern Europe, North Africa, and the multilateral track of the Middle East peace process.

A frequent commentator for international media, he has written extensively on foreign and security policy issues. Dr Lesser was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, the London School of Economics, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and received his D. Phil from Oxford University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Pacific Council on International Policy. He serves on the advisory boards of the International Spectator, Turkish Policy Quarterly, and the NATO Defense College Foundation, and has been a senior fellow of the Onassis Foundation in Athens and the Luso-American Foundation in Lisbon.

10:45 AM

Discussion

11:15 AM

Break

11:40 AM

RETHINKING THE FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

How can the financial infrastructure be improved to support growth and development?

EDUCATION: THE VEHICLE TO PROSPERITY
• Paving the way to future success stories

Bojana Boskovic

Deputy minister for financial system and improvement of business environment, Montenegro

Bojana Boskovic

Deputy minister for financial system and improvement of business environment, Montenegro

Bojana Bošković was born on July 10th 1981, in Sarajevo. She finished elementary and high school in Podgorica. In 2005, she graduated from the Faculty of Economics – University of Montenegro in Podgorica, with the average grade 9,43. At the same faculty, within the post graduate studies “Entrepreneurial Economy”, she obtained a master’s degree topic “Business Environment and Economic Growth”.

In October 2004, she initiated her professional carrier in the Ministry of Finance, where she served as an independent adviser and department coordinator, while from the end of December 2010, she has been serving as a deputy finance minister.

During her work engagement in the Finance Ministry she worked and coordinated different activities and tasks in the financial system area, European integration, international cooperation and business environment improvement.

Within the European Commission negotiations process, she serves as a coordinator of groups responsible for the economic, financial matters and statistics. As a general secretary of the Regulatory Reforms and Business Environment Improvement Council, she coordinates activities of projects for regulatory reforms and business environment improvement, being implemented by the Government of Montenegro in cooperation with the World Bank and the USAID.

From September 2010, she has been serving as a member of the board of directors of the Deposit Protection Fund.

She has been an assistant at the Faculty of International Economics, Finance and Business – Donja Gorica - in Podgorica, on the subject “Entrepreneurship”.

She took part in a number of professional conferences and study visits focusing on the financial stability, international finance, macroeconomic policy and economic development and regulatory reforms areas, being organized in Austria, Great Britain, Japan, Georgia, China, Belgium.

She is fluent in English language.

Radoje Žugić

Governor, Montenegro Central Bank

Radoje Žugić

Governor, Montenegro Central Bank

Mr Žugić was born in 1961 in Žabljak.

He graduated from the faculty of economics in Podgorica in 1985. In 1987 he earned a master’s degree in economics and in 2011 a PhD degree at the faculty of banking, insurance, and finance in Belgrade.

The Parliament of Montenegro appointed him the governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro on 30 September 2016. He is also the governor of the IMF for Montenegro.

Prior to his appointment as governor, he served as adviser to the prime minister of Montenegro, from May 2016.

From December 2012 until May 2016 he served as minister of Finance when significant results were achieved in terms of fiscal consolidation and special emphasis was given to combating informal economy.

In the period October 2010 - December 2012 he performed the function of the governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro which was characterized by the implementation of activities aimed at combating the effects of the global economic crisis and maintaining stability and liquidity of the banking and financial sector.

From 2004 until 2010 he served as the director of the pension and disability insurance fund.

Mr Žugić was also director of the Clearing and Payments Agency, deputy director general of the Central Bank of Montenegro for Payment System Operations and secretary of the Directorate of Public Revenues.

Mr Žugić was an MP in the Parliament of Montenegro and the Parliament of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

He published many scientific papers, contributions and overviews on various economic and social topics.

He is married with three children.

Dušan Mramor

Former finance minister of Slovenia, professor at the faculty of economics, University of Ljubljana

Dušan Mramor

Former finance minister of Slovenia, professor at the faculty of economics, University of Ljubljana

Dušan Mramor was the dean of the faculty of economics, chairman of the board of University of Ljubljana and associate dean of the faculty of Economics, recurring visiting professor at the Central European University in Budapest and research associate and visiting scholar at the School of Business, Indiana University.

Dr Mramor had an active role in the Slovenian transition process, serving as minister of Finance, member of the council of the National Bank of Slovenia, member of the Admission Board of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, first Chairman of the Securities Market Agency of Slovenia, member of the Strategic Economic Council of the prime minister of Slovenia and member of the Advisory Board of the President of Slovenia. He served for the second time as Minister of Finance (2014-2016) and for his contribution to the revival of Slovenian economy he was granted the award of European Finance Minister of the Year 2016 by The Banker. He has also served as a member of the supervisory board of Abanka Bank, vice president of the board of SKB bank, World Bank consultant, member of the Slovenian Accounting Standards Board and consultant to the government of Slovenia and a number of firms and banks.

Most of his research focuses on transition finance and economics. He is the author of three books on corporate finance, editor of several books on capital markets and corporate finance and author or coauthor of more than 30 larger research studies. He has been invited to give numerous lectures at universities and government institutions in Europe, the US and Asia. Currently, he is member of the International Advisory Board of Hanken School of Economics, a member of the editorial board of Economic and Business Review and associate editor of Journal of Economics and Business.

Damir Šehović

Minister of education, Montenegro

Damir Šehović

Minister of education, Montenegro

Damir Šehović was born on 22 June 1981, in Berane. He finished primary and secondary school in Plav. He studied finance and graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, in 2004. He earned an MA from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade in 2007, with the master’s thesis Capital Management in Banks in the Modern Market Economy. He earned his PhD from the faculty of banking, insurance and finance, Belgrade Banking Academy, in 2015, with the doctoral thesis Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Modern Market Economies.

During his studies, he received numerous academic awards and scholarships, including the Award to the Best Student in the Generation from the Faculty of Economics, and the prestigious “10 to 10” scholarship from the Atlasmont Bank, granted to the best students in Montenegro. He is the author of many research papers in the fields of finance and macroeconomics, and he regularly attends conferences and professional seminars.

In 2005, he joined the Faculty of Economics as a lecturer of monetary economics, banking management, fiscal economics and comparative tax law. He teaches banking and fiscal economics to management students at the Faculty of Economics. From March 2008 to May 2009, he worked as the secretary of the Ministry of Finance. From May 2009 to October 2016, he served two terms as an elected member of the Parliament of Montenegro. In January 2016, he was elected the vice-president of the Party at the first Congress of Montenegrin Social Democrats. In November 2016, he was appointed to the post of the minister of education.

He speaks English. He is married and has two children.

Mladen Perazic

Head of sector for education, Chamber of Economy of Montenegro

Mladen Perazic

Head of sector for education, Chamber of Economy of Montenegro

Mladen Perazić has been head of the department for education of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro since 2003. He is a member of the National Counsel for High Education and member of the Government Sector Commission for reform of the education system in Montenegro. Mr Perazić performs as a lecturer at the Faculty of Business Studies of the Mediterranean University. He obtained a bachelor degree at the University of Montenegro, faculty of economy – Podgorica in 1992 and master in entrepreneurial economy at the same faculty in 1996. He obtained his PhD degree in economic sciences at Singidunum University in Belgrade.

Mr Perazić, as head of the education department of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro is responsible for: Managing educational activities and guidance of sector for education of CEM; Coordination of CEM role in reforming process of National educational system of Montenegro; Business education; International cooperation; Human resources development;

Designing of low and sub-low regulations.

Mr Perazić performed as project manager of TEMPUS IV – Development of Business Training in Montenegro, TEMPUS IV – Development of Lifelong Learning Concept at the University of Montenegro (DeLLco) and TEMPUS Development of learning outcomes approach – a way to a better comparability, recognition and employability at the labour market (DEVCOR).

12:15 PM

Discussion

12:45 PM

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT: MOVING FORWARD

An outline of Montenegro’s business and economic landscape: is there soil for growth?

Pavle Radulović

Pavle Radulović

Minister of sustainable development and tourism, Montenegro

He was born in 1975 in Podgorica. He likes sports and music and plays the guitar.

Pavle Radulović completed his studies in Belgrade where he earned his degree in economics. He began his professional career working in several international organisations on projects financed by international institutions. He held position of the manager of the Capital City of Podgorica. He also served as an adviser to the executive director and was a commercial director of Jugopetrol AD, Hellenic Petroleum Group.

He has run many development and infrastructure projects.

Bojan Markovic

Deputy director for sector economics and policy, EBRD

Bojan Markovic

Deputy director for sector economics and policy, EBRD

Bojan Markovic is deputy director for sector economics and policy in the economics, policy and governance department of VP Policy and Partnership at the EBRD. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Vienna Initiative and leads the NPL Initiative.

He holds Ph.D. and M.Sc. in economics from the University of Birmingham (UK), and B.Sc. from the Belgrade Faculty of Economics.

Mr Markovic began his central banking career in 2000 at the Bank of England (London), working on monetary analysis and financial stability. He was in charge of the official model for forecasting UK inflation. In 2008, he moved to Goldman Sachs, where he was an executive director in private wealth management, focusing on investment strategies for exchange rates, short- and long-run interest rates, and equities, mainly in G10 countries.

From 2009 to September 2012 Bojan Markovic was the vice-governor of the National Bank of Serbia in charge of monetary policy, financial markets and payment systems. Until November 2013, he was visiting scholar in the IMF, and external expert on several IMF missions. He is also an honorary senior visiting fellow at the University of Birmingham.

Dubravka Nègre

Head, regional representation for the Western Balkans, European Investment Bank

Dubravka Nègre

Head, regional representation for the Western Balkans, European Investment Bank

Dubravka Nègre has been heading EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans in Belgrade since August 2016. EIB, European Union’s bank, is the largest lender to the Serbian economy with EUR 4.7 billion of the committed financing, and the world’s largest multilateral lender.
Dubravka came to Belgrade from Luxembourg where she has been working in the European Investment Bank since 2004 as a Loan Officer. Since 2014, Dubravka was responsible within the EIB for Public-Private Partnerships and Project Finance operations in Ireland, France, UK, and Benelux. She closed the financing for projects in the renewable energy, road transport as well as the healthcare in the Netherlands, UK and Ireland, among others. Between 2004 and 2014, she was responsible for EIB’s operations in Albania, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia, while being the responsible Loan Officer for projects in FYROM and Serbia from 2007 to 2014. She appraised, negotiated and signed numerous transactions in education, energy, health, R&D, telecommunications, transport, and the financial sector.

In 2012-2013, she negotiated and executed the first Public-Private Partnership in Croatia. For this project, she won Project Finance Deal of the Year 2013 and EMEA Finance Magazine European Deal 2013 in London. Dubravka initiated establishment of the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) and the Western Balkan Enterprise Development Innovation Facility (WB EDIF), both in cooperation with the European Commission and the European Investment Fund, part of EIB Group. She wrote several research papers in the field of Public-Private Partnerships in cooperation with Belgrade University.

Before joining EIB, between 1999 and 2003, Dubravka worked in the media as a Television Producer for Cable News Network International (CNNI), covering conflicts in the Balkans and the war in Afghanistan. For the war in Afghanistan, she won an award from the US National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences. She graduated Finance and Banking at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, and holds Master degree in International Finance and Management from SDA Bocconi University in Milan and Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles.

Dubravka speaks English, French, Italian and Serbian. She is married to Christophe with two children, Doushka and Milan.

Petar Popović

Former operation division manager in Montenegro, World Bank, ambassador of Montenegro to Greece

Petar Popović

Former operation division manager in Montenegro, World Bank, ambassador of Montenegro to Greece

Petar Popović was born on July 13th, 1952 and is a citizen of Montenegro.

▪ President of the board of directors Yugoslav Bankers Association Committee for Development and Implementation of Methodology of Investment

▪ Member and chairman of the board, Yugoslav Bankers Association with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank

▪ Accredited professor, Yugoslavia, Methodology for Investment

▪ President of the executive board, Montenegro Regional Development Programme, financed by the World Bank

Fluent in English. Working knowledge of Italian.

Juerg Steffen

Chief operating officer, Henley & Partners

Juerg Steffen

Chief operating officer, Henley & Partners

Dr Juerg Steffen is the chief operating officer of the group and is based in Austria.

Dr Steffen has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He established and developed a private bank operation for one of the leading banks in Switzerland. Thereafter, he was a director in the cross-border wealth planning department of UBS in Zurich, advising high net worth individuals and key clients in all matters regarding financial, residence and citizenship planning.

Before joining Henley & Partners, he was a personal adviser for the members of one of the wealthiest families in Europe, a member of the management board and head of the wealth planning department of a leading private bank in Austria. He wrote and published books about relocating to Switzerland and Austria.

Stevan Milic

Chief operations officer, Azmont Investments

Stevan Milic

Mr Milic has received the associate’s degree in marketing and management from Columbia State University and bachelor's degree in business administration with special focus on the areas of finance, accounting, marketing and management at Faulkner University. He is fluent in English and Italian.

Mr Milic has started his career in Telenor in 2005, in the newly formed HR department. From the beginning he has participated in numerous company projects on local, regional and international level. He held the position of human resources director from September 2011 and from 2013 was appointed as head of corporate communications and human resources division. In 2014, he joined Portonovi project as head of human resources and administration.

Mr Milic has been member of Azmont Investments team since 2015 as chief operations officer. He has also been in charge for managing Portonovi Hospitality Management Company as executive director since 2016.

1:30 PM

Discussion

2:00 PM

OUTLINING THE ENERGY LANDSCAPE FOR SOUTHEAST EUROPE IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Potential investment schemes for the region’s development

Renewable energy projects

Russia’s role in the region

Oil supply and distribution

Dragica Sekulic

Minister of economy, Montenegro

Dragica Sekulic

Minister of economy, Montenegro

Dragica Sekulic has graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Podgorica.

She has been coordinator of projects in the energy field, advisor in the Ministry of Economy, as well as deputy minister of Economy.

She was Member of the Coordination Committee for preparation of the Energy Development Strategy, member of an Expert Team for preparation of the Strategy of Sustainable Development of Montenegro and member of an Expert Team for preparation of the Study on Renewable Energy Sources in Montenegro.

In 2013 she was appointed head of the Negotiating team for Chapter 15 – Energy.

In November 2016 she was appointed minister for Economy.

Hamdo Tinjak

Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hamdo Tinjak

Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date and place of birth: 07.01.1964 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Profession: Lawyer

Current post:

Secretary of the Ministry of foreign trade and economic relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Head of the negotiating team to the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to WTO.

Head of the subcommittee for the internal market within the SAA implementing bodies.

Head of the negotiating teams for the bilateral and multilateral negotiations in services sector. (CEFTA, Turkey)

Previous posts:

Bosnia and Herzegovina representative in SEE Investment Committee;

Main negotiator for the SAA adaptation;

Secretary of the Ministry for refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Antonis Semelidis

Executive director, Jugopetrol

Antonis Semelidis

Executive director, Jugopetrol

Antonis Semelides is the executive director of Jugopetrol AD.

He holds M.Sc.and B.Sc. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida (USA).

He has a 25 years’ experience in the Oil business first with BP Plc and then with Hellenic Petroleum SA. Specifically, he has worked in the areas of oil products supply, sea transport, oil and LPG terminal storage and logistics operations, road transport, airport refueling operations, bunkering operations, petrol stations construction and operations.

He has extensive knowledge of the health, safety and environmental aspects of the downstream oil industry.

Mr Semelides has served for nine years in the BoD of the Cyprus Strategic Stocks Agency, and had a significant contribution in setting-up the Agency.

Nikolaos Farantouris

Prof. N. Farantouris is Jean Monnet professor of EU Law at the international & European studies department, University of Piraeus, Greece. He studied law at the University of Athens and

completed a Master’s degree in European and comparative law and a Doctorate (DPhil) in European Law, both at the University of Oxford. His work focuses on EU business law, competition law, energy law and regulation, shipping law, environmental protection and international trade law. He has worked in Goldman Sachs’ Legal & Compliance Department in London and in Norton Rose LLP Competition & EU Law Department in London, Brussels and Athens, where he handled major antitrust, merger control, multinational cartel and state aid cases in the banking, energy, maritime and air transport sectors, before national and international authorities, the EU Commission and the European Court of Justice. He has also gained experience as a board member of Hellenic Competition Commission, a member of the Legal Committee of the Union of Greek Shipowners and a member of the board of directors & general counsel of the Greek Gas Corporation (DEPA) S.A. He is chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of EUROGAS, the international association representing the European gas wholesale, retail and distribution industry.

2:30 PM

Discussion

3:00 PM

Networking luncheon

5:15 PM

End of conference sessions

7:30 PM

Cocktail reception

8:30 PM

OFFICIAL GALA DINNER: MONTENEGRO IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Guest of honour and keynote speaker:

Filip Vujanović

President, Montenegro

Filip Vujanović

President, Montenegro

Filip Vujanović was born on September 1st, 1954 in Belgrade. He is of Montenegrin nationality. He is married, father of three children. In 1978 he graduated from the Faculty of Law in Belgrade. Has passed bar examination.
Previous work engagement and state functions:
March 1978-November 1980: intern and expert associate in the First Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade and in the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.

November 1980-January 1982: Secretary of Court in the District Court in Titograd
January 1982-March 1993: Lawyer
March 1993-May 1995:Minister of Justice in the Government of the Republic of Montenegro
May 1995-February 1998: Minister of Interior Affairs in the Government of the Republic of Montenegro

President of the Government of the Republic of Montenegro from 5/21998-5/11/2002.
President of the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro since November 5, 2002.
For president of the Republic of Montenegro elected on May 11th, 2003.

At the first presidential elections in independent Montenegro held on April 6th 2008, elected for the President of Montenegro.

Re-elected at the presidential elections held on April 7th 2013.

Venue

Set in the heart of Podgorica, this fully renovated hotel is a quick walk to government offices, embassies, downtown, banks, sports venues and city parks. Along with stylish, sunlit rooms and suites, hotel guests will enjoy 4 restaurants and lounges including a spectacular rooftop bar, plus gorgeous event space and the city’s largest spa.

Logistics supplier

DHL

IT sponsor

SiEBEN-POBUCA

SiEBEN - Pobuca is a CRM software house that offers turnkey solutions to brands and retailers, employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unleash business creativity and productivity in the digital era.

Speaking opportunities

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